Western Romance

Set high on a hill in Murrieta, this property combines the rustic nature of the surrounding environment and the owner’s more modern sensibility.

The real inspiration for this project came from 20 years ago, when the client camped on the land before there were any buildings at all. Our challenge was to create a modern day cowboy house based on Spanish Haciendas.  The clients wanted something that felt like it was “one with nature”, growing out of the rocks and the mountain.

With a large circular driveway in front of the house and grounds dappled with wild flowers and native grasses, there’s an immediate sense of romantic elegance that is welcoming and casual. The long rectangular lap pool tucked closely in to the back of the house provides amazing views of the surrounding valley floor.

Because the area is extremely susceptible to fire, the planting around the buildings was limited to turf and a few trees. (The pool does double-duty, also serving as a reservoir for water to be used in case of fire.)  We installed native plants on the surrounding slopes, further from the house, to maintain respect of the rural setting, and keep landscape maintenance and water use to a minimum. The simple clean lines and rustic materials reflect the modern ranch theme and are visually calming.